Sparrow Fisher is transforming. No longer dressed up in antiquated clothes and ideals, she is finally trying on her freedom.

Before she moves to New York City, she meets Ian Sterling, a musician Sparrow has dreamed about since she first saw him. The attraction is instant, but their relationship isn’t so simple.

Over a five year span, Sparrow and Ian run into each other in unusual places. Each time, Sparrow has to decide if she can trust him, if he feels the same for her, and finally, if love is really enough.

I was ridiculously excited when I was contacted to be a part of the True Love Story blog tour. Beyond. I had read the excerpt at the back of Dirty Red, and I knew I needed to read this story. This story reminded me a lot of being young and in love and uncertain of your future. I felt every word I read. And I fell madly in love with Ian Sterling. From the second page, he had me.

“Keep that up, and I will have my way with every single one of those little blushes. I can’t be trusted.”

So we meet Sparrow and Ian in the present. They find themselves on the same flight, headed for New Orleans. They haven’t seen each other in over a year, but their “relationship” spans well over five years. She’s dreading their encounter. He wants to pick up right where they left off…over two years ago…before things got really bad.

“You’re impossible.

“You’re delectable.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“You’re edible.”

I sigh, frustrated and turned on.

“You know it’s true.” He inches closer.

After chapter one, we go back – 5 years back – to when they met. The book then takes us through this journey – their journey – over the next five years and all they go through. We see them almost together, together, distant, so far apart, and then we are back. Back to New Orleans and the present.

What I loved about going back was learning about Sparrow. We saw how she was raised, her beliefs, we met her boyfriend at the time, and felt her insecurities. We also got to see her dreams. She was getting ready to move to NYC and begin her life that she envisioned. For lack of a better analogy, she was a bird, ready to spread her wings and fly. I felt her excitement, but also her hesitance.

Mercy sakes. He just … does it for me. Whatever it is, he does it.

Meeting Ian gave Sparrow a new sense of confidence in herself. She began to see the Sparrow that he saw. In the same right, though, he brought out a lot of insecurities in her. They certainly didn’t have a traditional coming-together of sorts. They’d see each other, and then go months without talking or seeing each other again. And each time, although she was upset about this, she’d see him and he’d see her, and it was like no time passed at all. But how long could that possibly work, right?

“I love you so much, it hurts. I love you so much, it’s taken over right here–” he puts my hand on his chest “–and swallowed me whole until I can’t think of anyone or anything but you. You have completely captivated me. And I only want more.”

This story was real. I won’t go into the plot because what I really like about it was that, although I knew there was going to be some hard realities about young relationships, I also wasn’t sure how it was all going to play out. I will say that I felt every emotion possible while reading this. I would smile when they were happy, and there were plenty of instances where my heart was racing and I was choking back tears. Willow did such an amazing job of weaving the story so that I honestly felt like I was experiencing this relationship firsthand. It was beautiful.

“I have never loved anyone but you. I never will.”

“I guess love isn’t enough,” I say.

“Love is everything to me, Sparrow. You changed my life by loving me. I’m not gonna let you go. I can’t give you up.”

Ian Sterling melted me. He was flawed, but he knew that. Sparrow knew that. She didn’t want to change him, but she did always know what she was getting in to with him. His way with words had me near passing out on many occasions. Even after everything that happened with him, I personally couldn’t give up on him. I was rooting for him the whole time. I am a fan of young love, and persevering the toughest odds, so this was definitely the case for Sparrow and Ian.

I can’t recommend this book enough. If you’re a fan of realistic stories that are chock full of angst and emotion, then this is absolutely for you. This story has it all: from the writing, to the storyline development and the characters, you immediately find yourself immersed in Sparrow and Ian. You laugh when they laugh, blush when Sparrow does, and your heart breaks a little with every trouble they find themselves dealing with. I always appreciate an honest story, and True Love Story was certainly that. Nothing about falling in love young is easy. She showed us that. She also showed us forgiveness, even when you can’t forget, and the power that love can ultimately hold.

I can’t wait to see what Willow Aster writes next, but I have no doubt it will be just as impressive as her debut.

GIVEAWAY:

Willow is giving away a KINDLE PAPERWHITE (AHH!) and a SIGNED COPY of the book! How awesome is that?! Make sure to enter below.

I have a husband, two kids, a dog, and a fish.
Aside from that, I'm a self-proclaimed book nerd, obsessed with coffee, blogs, and proper sentence structure. I thrive under pressure, and working in the editorial scene (as in, at my house, with my kids staring at me, almost never wearing a bra) has provided lots of that ... in the best way! When I'm not reviewing books here, chasing after the little people who share my DNA, I'm trying to make a dent in my never-ending to-read list. I'm always changing and trying to do something bigger and better.
There's really nothing I won't read. Combining my love for books with my super nerdy love of the English language has been such a natural step, and being able to work with so many talented authors has been fun and inspiring.
I'm an over-sharer, and I like to talk and think ... and talk about thinking.
Happy Reading!
Madison